


Close the window

by syusuke



Series: We're brothers whether you like it or not [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily Feels, Brotherly Affection, Emotionally Repressed, Gen, Separation Anxiety, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-07-28 17:31:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7649983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syusuke/pseuds/syusuke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the crack of dawn and Tim is researching the new case. Patrol was a bit rougher than usual and all he wants is to solve this puzzle or at least find a clue, before resting for a few hours. His plans change though, when he sees a blue and black figure enter through his window. „Close the window.“, Tim sighed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts on my writing or just on my interpretation of their relationships are always most welcome.  
> I'm not a native speaker, so please excuse my english.  
> And now: Enjoy!

„Close the window.“, Tim sighed.  
Nightwing slipped in almost silently and closed the window in one swift move. He even pulled the curtains against the rising sun. Tim saw him out of the corner of his eye, but kept comparing hints on his computer. He didn’t appreciate anyone interrupting his research.  
„Hello to you too. Don’t worry, I’ll let you work. I just need to crash for a few hours.“, Dick didn’t quite manage to keep the pain from his voice. They both knew this dance by heart and never thought anything of it. It was always the same song. One of them was too tired or too badly injured to take the trip home and the other’s hideout was just closer. Sure, there was always the possibility to crash at the manor, but neither of them were particularly comfortable there after the whole story with the Red Hood. Bruce was in an exceptionally bad mood and that was never a good time for company.

  
Tim was grateful that Bruce had provided him with this lair. In all fairness he had the money and Tim’s official job as a webmaster didn’t make that much. It was more of a hobby anyway and it was always useful to be caught up on the newest programming skills to hack into government networks. It came in handy to explain all the tech to his friends too. The flat seemed so small compared to the mansion. Tim preferred it this way. He could see the whole space in one quick glance. It was a loft. The only luxury he had asked for, maybe because he felt safer up high. The furniture was practical, nothing fancy. The kitchen had a functioning stove, a fridge and sink. The table had to serve as workspace, but Tim didn’t mind. He kept everything clean and the less space he had the less cleaning he had to do. Spare space could also result in the temptation to leave your stuff laying around. So what? Maybe he was a little OCD. Since Dick crashed here once in a while he had even bought a comfy pullout couch, although it was rarely used. It was most unusual for them to be asleep at the same time. That was another advantage of sleeping over, if they felt particularly vulnerable they knew the other would watch their back.

  
He heard Dick shuffling around, dropping all attempts of being stealthy and treading heavily on his still injured leg. „Dick, shower. You’re not stinking up my bed. Help yourself to some clothes.“ Tim expected an offhand remark about him being a mother hen or worrying too much. Anything really, Dick was a talker, always had been. Instead he just heard the shower and low cursing. That was the last straw. Something was very wrong. He abandoned his work, turning on the usual notifications. He was tired himself. The patrol had been stressful today. A few small fish had shown up and he had spent quite some time following them and trying to figure out the bigger picture, before he had ended up in the middle of a shooting. He had handled the situation, but also taken a fall that sprained his left wrist. More than anything he was annoyed with himself, since he should have seen the attack coming. Seemed like it was one of these times for comfort. Tim would never admit it, but he had been longing to see Dick. Dick was easy, calming, direct. For all the darkness he lived in, Dick held on tightly to the sunny nature he’d had as a kid. Once in a while Tim needed that positive energy around, Dick was his safe place in a way Bruce never could be.

  
The shower was still running. Tim had given up on his research for now. He took the leftover lasagne out of the fridge and put it in the oven. It wasn’t a breakfast food, but technically it was dinner for them anyway. He actually enjoyed cooking, it calmed him down. By the time he had set the table, Dick limped out of the bathroom, dressed only in boxershorts. He had ditched the splint and therefore had to tread carefully. He looked like hell. His upper body was more bruised than not, there was a long cut across his arm and the leg that was broken half a year ago still looked aweful. The muscles were back to a normal civilians, but for Dick it was meager. „Eat.“, Tim ordered while he took out the first aid kit. „Thank you. Smells great.“, Dick gave him a little smile and dug in. He held his left arm completely still. He hissed when the antiseptic was poured in the wound. Tim studied the cut for a bit, decided that he’ll need to stitch it and frowned unhappily. Dick noticed, of course he did. He raised his eyebrow questioningly. Tim just shrugged and took the needle in his right hand. „What happened to your left?“, Dick wondered. Most people didn’t realize that Tim was lefthanded. It was easy to miss, since Tim had trained both his hands from a very young age. It was the little things that gave it away. Like Dick knew that Tim would always use his dominant hand for delicate work such as stitching up wounds or use tweezers when fixing his computer. For whatever reason Tim had made a conscious decision to appear righthanded in public, but didn’t bother to hide it as Robin. Tim just continued stitching as neatly as he could. He didn’t like to explain injuries, they came with the job. It was business as usual.

  
After he finished stitching, Tim put away the first aid kit. He felt the glare between his shoulder blades. He sighed, showing off his wrist to Dick: „No big deal, just a sprain. I’ll have Alfred x-ray it in the evening.“ It was too late though, Dick was already in big brother mode and Tim knew all too well that he could either play along and take off his shirt, so Dick could be absolutely certain he was fine or he could be stubborn and then he’d have to deal with Dick trying to make him comply. Since Dick was both taller and stronger than Tim he knew, it would be easier to just give in now, also there was the possibility that they could injure each other further while wrestling it out. „Really? You don’t trust my word?“, Tim did nothing to hide his annoyance. „Well, if Bruce taught us anything, it’s to hide our pain.“, it sounded like a joke, but Dick wasn’t smiling, „Is your shoulder any better? Do you still need the brace on patrol?“ Tim half smiled at him. He had showered after patrol and felt quite good by now, apart from his wrist. That was killing him... he was pretty sure it wasn’t just sprained, maybe he ruptured a ligament. He couldn’t really test his range of motion as long as it was swollen though. He took of his shirt, careful to avoid any contact with the swollen joint. Dick watched his movements closely, once he was satisfied with his front he signalled him to turn. A soft sigh escaped Tim, when Dick started massaging his shoulder. He didn’t need the brace anymore, but it had never healed entirely. It would still cramp from time to time and it was almost impossible to relax it again on his own. Dick pulled and pushed expertly with his right hand, his left was just kinda resting at Tim’s nape. Tim relaxed visibly. Out of all the people around him, vigilantes or daytime friends, Dick was the only one he trusted like this. Their bodies were covered in scars, mostly small ones from throwing knives or shots they hadn’t dodged quick enough. It was hard to explain them to people who didn’t know about their night-job. „Thanks... would you mind taping it after we had some rest?“, it was still hard for Tim to ask for little favours like this. „Of course, little bird. I take it you’ll be here, when I wake up? I could tape it now, if you need to be somewhere..“, Dick was back to his usual cheerful tone. „No, that’s fine.“, Tim smiled. He offered Dick his hand and helped him up the stairs to the bed. „Here“, he tossed him a longsleeved shirt, „I’d prefer it, if my bed wouldn’t be full of blood. Painkillers are in the bedside table, water bottles too. If you need anything, I’m on the computer.“ Dick gave him a tired smile: „Wake me, if big B calls.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some links for visuals, if you would like:  
> http://cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/concrete-loft-design.png Loft image  
> http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhhS8-mtHFM/UXKuhC4iSaI/AAAAAAAABII/AMBMKR6eU4g/s1600/miss.jpg nightwing's splint/cast  
> http://thoughtsaboutdickgrayson.tumblr.com/post/50868803722/from-nightwing-150-january-2009-dicks-scars nightwing scars
> 
> So, apparently this story is so not going where I intended it to go... Anyway, I like that the dynamic between the various Robins is so different and at the same time so brotherly. Even with Damian and Tim it’s sort of how you insult your siblings in the worst way possible, but if they’re not around you’d defend them against any criticism? I assume I’ll go on in this story, maybe more like oneshots in this sorta miniverse I created in my head. I figured it might be helpful for later chapters if you knew how they all looked more or less in my mind. It’s really more about their different types of athelticism than anything else.
> 
> I always imagined Dick as having a way leaner build than Bruce. To me Bruce was basically this big guy with wide shoulders, kinda like a heavy weight boxer type. But Dick is a gymnast, so while he is very strong and has the best control over his body, his frame is still lean. He has lean muscle, he’s not bulky. Jason/ Red Hood on the other hand seems to fight with brute force and would therefore naturally have to build more upper body strength and therefore he’d have a similar build like Bruce, while also being taller than Dick. Since he doesn’t jump around much and uses a motorcycle for transportation, his legs wouldn’t be that well trained which would make him look even bulkier and together with his height that would make him seem to literally „tower“ over Dick. As for Tim, I’d go with a frame closer to Dick, but shorter. If I compare Dick to an acrobat, Tim would be closer to a martial artist as in Capoeira or Karate. Dick was an acrobat from a young age and just grew up like that. Tim on the other hand searched for the most effective way of fighting. Since he had a lean build, it was obvious to him that he couldn’t rely on a lot of strength like Bruce or Jason. But he also wasn’t flexible enough to fight like Dick. Instead he relies on techniques that use his opponents strength against them and he sticks to the leanest possible frame, because it allows him to use his speed and precision. He is the only one who actively avoids fighting if at all possible. He’d much rather use long range weapons to knock his attackers out. More often then not he lets rivaling gangs fight each other and only confronts the victors. So Tim is also the best fit to go undercover, because his build looks the most normal. He’s also quite young, but a master in changing his appearance to give or take a few years. He manages to pull of a 14 year old just as easily as a forty year old.


	2. Hide n Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim is in danger, but Dick has yet to tell him why.

The third time his eyes slipped shut, Tim gave in. He was tired and hurting and his bed was occupied anyway.

 

„...sure. No, I’ll tell him. It’s fine Barbara. He’s literally 10 feet to my left... of course. Can we not do this right now? You know how he is. He wouldn’t explain it. I don’t care, if he doesn’t want me to tell Tim. He deserves to know. Yes. I’m aware. I’ll get back to you, when I’m on patrol.“, Dick hung up the phone. He had to tell Tim, whether Bruce liked it or not. The loft was quiet. He only heard soft breathing and a soft tap. The tap repeated itself, a little louder this time. Dick got up carefully. His leg was mostly fine after a few hours of rest, it only really hurt when he had to fight all out on patrol. But the cut itched uncomfortably and every slide against the fabric of the shirt hurt. He was quick to take another painkiller. He’d made that decision long ago. There was no reason to struggle with pain. He needed a sharp mind on patrol. While it wasn’t time for patrol yet, he’d also need a sharp mind to talk to his little brother. He knew Tim well, but there was no way to predict his reaction to the news he had.

 

Dick put on a pot of coffee, choosing to let Tim sleep a little longer, although the way he slumped over his desk looked rather painful. There was another tap. It was coming from the window. A small tabby cat was waiting there, begging to get in. „Well, hello there. Are you a friend of Tims? I guess he wouldn’t mind, would he?“, Dick was cooing. He didn’t mind animals and Tim had always liked cats. The cat hopped in gracefully. She made a beeline for the shorter man, silently jumping onto his lap. Seemingly content the animal started purring. Immediately Tim startled awake. He blinked lazily. Once he saw the cat, he started petting its head: „Back again?“ Tim had barely slept three hours. Research hadn’t gone too well. He was grateful for the heavenly smell of coffee and even more so, when Dick gave him a steaming mug. He nodded thanks. „Tim, something came up. Bruce isn’t so keen on me filling you in. We found out who the Red Hood is. We had our suspicions, but now we have proof.“, Dick was stalling and he knew it. Tim sighed: „So it’s actually Jason? Is there.. any danger concerning our identities?“ "Let’s get it over with then. Yes, Jason. He has no interest in unmasking us. He sort of has his own way of dealing with crime now. He wants to control it. His intention is to help Gotham. Bruce is taking it pretty hard. He counts the death of Jason as his biggest failure. What has become of the former Robin is.. unfortunate. He’s a changed man. I saw him fight before. I saw him win before. But Tim, I saw him injure and kill. Intimidation works in the crime scene. He is successful in a way that we never could be.“, there was a moment of silence between them. Dick was deep in thought, searching for the best way to explain the situation. Tim sipped his coffee. He studied Dicks face. The emotions were hard to read, mixed together. Pain, guilt, anger, even fear? Then it dawned on him: „There’s more to this. Bruce is concerned about something. You are afraid. I’m not supposed to know. What does Jason want with me ?" "He’s hurt. Batman has a new Robin. He was replaced. I honestly don’t know, how far he’s willing to go. He’s coming for you. Jason is ready to confront you, maybe challenge you. I’m afraid, he’s stronger than you. I don’t want you to get hurt, Timmy.", he had to take a deep breath, "He might even be ready to kill you." There were more fears, more emotions, but they were left unsaid. Tim considered the situation. Physically Jason had the advantage, even more so because he could fight without restraint. „I’ll be okay.“, there was really no point in worrying about it now.

 

Dick smiled at him sadly: „We won’t let anything happen to you. I wasn’t there when Jason was taken by the Joker. I’ll regret it till the end of my life. Promise me, that you’ll call for help. Don’t confront him alone. This is not your fight." "No. You don’t get to do this to me.", Tim said sternly. He got up. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it worked. Dick stared at him, clearly waiting for further explanation. „No limitations anymore. I’m 16 now. I am trained in various martial arts. I refuse to run away from fights anymore. You know what happened last time!“, he spoke calmly while keeping eye contact. That particular wound was too fresh. „That wasn’t on you...“, Dick started. „Maybe not. But Steph wasn’t ready! I had to fight to be Robin. I had to earn it, to prove myself over and over again. So why was Steph different? Why wasn’t he as careful with her? Why did they make me quit?! She could be alive!", Tim stormed off, leaving through the window. He was still just in sweatpants and a T-Shirt, no shoes, no equipment whatsoever. He had even caught Dick offguard. Without the gear jumping from roof to roof was more like parkour.

 

Tim only realized that he had crossed through crime alley, when he slid to a stop on the roof of the old cinema. It wasn’t dark yet. Luckily for him, no one really looked up around here. They were to busy to watch out for potential danger. He disappeared into the shadows as he did in the night. His reaction had been stupid. Too much emotions had clouded his mind. He needed a minute. After a quick check on his surroundings he lets himself sink against the wall. He reigned in his breathing, slowing it down, slowing his pulse. Eventually he closed his eyes, letting the darkness surround him. Air pressure changed, a soft flutter to his right, movement. His eyes snapped open, he threw his guard up, taking two quick sideway steps. Before he really registered the situation, he was pulled back against the wall. „Easy, it’s me.“, Nightwing whispered, „We have to stay out of sight. Batman’s gonna kill me, if he sees you like that.“ Tim forced himself to relax. He shrugged: „I would have come back. No need to run after me.“

 

„Awww, how cute. A family reunion! My invitation got lost in the mail, right ? Is Daddy gonna come too ? Or is it just us boys?", the mocking tone was as cold as ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go. Still not the specific scene that got me writing, but at least we have the necessary players now.  
> I love making references to storylines I like.  
> So I mention Steph as in Stephanie Brown, who was Robin, when Tim's father found out about him being Robin and forced him into quitting it. She died as far as Tim knows at this point. As for Jason, I don't think there was a lot of information for Tim to find. So he'd essentially flying blind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is there to help Tim, but does he stand a chance against Jason while protecting his little brother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being slow to update.. but I have no time while working, free time is rare and inspiration can be a bitch.

\--- chapter 3 ---

The Red Hood stood a few steps away, arms crossed, waiting. Tim could see at least four handguns on him and a machine gun strapped to his back. Probably a few throwing knives in his belt and boots. Hard to judge underneath the brown leather-jacket. Dick had his equipment, but even then it would be a tough match with his injured leg. Tim himself didn’t have any equipment. He wouldn’t be a big help, maybe he could be a distraction. But that would be foolish, it would be a close call to even dodge fast enough without decent grip, sliding around with his bare feet. So stalling it was then, Batman was probably on his way.

 

„The Red Hood, huh? Honestly, isn’t it weird to use an alter ego of your killer?“, Tim tried his best to keep his voice even. Judging by the look Dick gave him though, at the very least he had heard a small tremble. Tim was no fool and the odds were in Jason’s favor.

Jason laughed. „It’s a little ironic. But what choice did I have ? My old uniform has been stolen from me. Although tonight you don’t wear it, thief. »

Dick tensed beside him, getting ready to fight. „Jason, you don’t have to do this. This doesn’t have to end in a fight. You can come back. There has always been a space for you and there still is. »

« I’m not here for you _, Nightwing_. I’m here for the one who stole my place. The one who lived the life I should have had. But you see, where’s the fun if he’s not wearing my uniform? There would be no satisfaction in killing you, when you’re helpless, little bird.“ Jason kept his gaze on Tim, gauging his reaction. Tim didn’t move, but Dick had moved slightly in front of him, shielding him. « Oh Dickie, I thought I was your brother. Didn’t you tell me, you’d always protect me ? Why are you siding with this thief ? He has no place in our world. He hasn’t suffered like we have. Or have you Drake? Have you lost your entire family when you were a young child ? Did you have to survive on your own in the most dangerous streets of Gotham ? No, I didn’t think so. » Jason smirked. He shrugged. « One chance, call it a gift. Run, Drake. Run to your father, you might wanna see him one last time.“

Tim froze, ice cold shivers running down his back. Jason knew about his family. Jason did something, a bomb ? He turned around and ran as fast as he could. Not thinking about the danger behind him, or that it still wasn’t dark. Only thing that mattered, was to reach his father and save him.

In his haste Tim wasn’t aware that Dick had shielded him from several throwing knives and fought Jason off. The two were well matched, but if this turned into a battle of endurance... well his leg would be Dick’s downfall.

„Stop this! I don’t want to fight you. Jason, please!“ Dick didn’t care, if he sounded pathetic. After all the things he had done, Jason was still his brother. He threw one of his clubs at him, effectively knocking the gun out of his hand. Jason picked it up, he easily found the small mechanism on the side, transforming it into a staff.

„Well, then let’s see who’s better with one of these. Shall we?“ The Red Hood lept at him, attacking him furiously with his own weapon. Dick deflected and took a step back. His own club transformed too and they were properly going at it now. They used to train like this, always ending up with ugly bruises, always getting too intense. It had paid off though. They were both great at it. Hitting, thrusting, deflecting, dodging. It looked like a well choreographed fight, they were still pretty much in synch and easily able to anticipate the other. Dick jumped backwards, landing at a bad angle. He grit his teeth, he had to change things up. They were at a stall right now and he needed to look for Tim. Jason’s next blow send him to his knees. He hadn’t expected the brute force behind it, nor could he hide his pain. Of course, Jason noticed. His next blow went straight to his leg. Dick screamed in pain. He struggled to his feet, obviously limping.

 

„Oracle, where’s the big guy? I need help. Check in on Tim too. He ran off a little while ago.“ Dick’s voice was strained. The microphone in his mask was damaged, so he had to talk into his cuff. Unfortunately that left him more vulnerable to attacks. He couldn’t wait for a reply. He had to dodge a hit to his flank. Jason knocked the staff out of his hand, throwing his own after it too.

 

„Oracle? Who’s that? Is there a new player, I should get to know?“, Jason got very close. He pushed Dick against the wall, shoving him up slightly to be on eye level. „It’s not nice of you, to be on the phone while we’re talking. But since it’s already done, care to introduce us ? »

 

« Release him. « 

 

«Finally found the way ? A bit earlier would have been nice. Uuuargh“, Dick was cut off roughly by a knee in the stomach. He sacked down, losing consciousness.

 

„There, released him. Let’s see. You can fight me or you can take care of his leg. I might have broken it... it would be a shame if our acrobat couldn’t jump around anymore. », Jason laughed maniacly, « Oh, even better. Save his leg or chase after me before I get to Drake. Your decision. » He jumped off the building, dodging the grapling hook easily.

 

„Batman, Robin’s almost at the Drake house. I sent Black Canary after him. She’s about to catch up. »

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Tim was close to home now. His feet were bloody from all the running and the cold night air felt like knives on his skin. It didin’t matter. He had to reach his dad! Whatever Jason did.. it couldn’t be good. So he ran and ran.

 

„Hey kiddo, mind if I tag along?“, Black Canary appeared beside Tim.  The boy hardly acknowledged her. He saw her out of the corner of his eyes. Familiar blond hair, confirmed ally. He didn’t stop running. Just two minutes later he finally came to a stop in front of his home. The door was locked and he didn’t have his keys, so he went in through a window. Black Canary followed him silently. She had already decided to let him search for his dad first, before getting him out of here.

 

„Dad? DAD?! Where are you?“, Tim checked the closest rooms then ran upstairs, „Dad?“ There was no way he could hide the panic in his voice, the fear of losing another loved one. The bedroom was empty, there was no one here. But on the floor he found a cell phone with a cracked display. It wasn’t locked. A video popped up. It showed a dark room. In the middle of it was a man in a wheelchair who was blinded by a big spotlight. The camera moved closer to the man. It was his father and he was clearly unconscious. He had bruises all over his face, one eye was swollen shut. The microphone crackled and then a voice came on: „Oh, so sorry. He’s not home of course. That would have been too easy. No no, he’s with me for now. We have a lot of fun. But Jack here had to take a break, I guess I’m a lot to handle at times. But hey, people love that about me. Let’s get straight to it then. You wanna see your dad again ? You have one chance. Meet me in my safe house tomorrow at 5am. Oh and don’t be late. It’s just rude you know ? And if you are rude to me... well that puts me in a bad mood and I’ll have to vent... soo whoever’s closest to me... And if you bring company, he’s dead. «  The video stopped there.  Tim’s mind was running at a hundred miles an hour, he needed to find out where the safe house was. He had just about six hours to figure it out.

 

« Robin, we should get out of here as soon as possible. Oracle confirmed that Red Hood is chasing after you. », Black Canary had approached him slowly, broadcasting each and every move clearly. Tim just put his hand up, wordlessly gesturing for her to wait. He scanned the room for anything unusual, but there was nothing here. He pocketed the cell and then went on to check his own room. No obvious evidence, so he checked under the loose floorboards. His backup gear was in there and neatly folded a little note „1st, hook, high“. Tim exhaled slowly, at least he had a hint, something to work with. As his adrenaline level sunk he started to feel pain again and damn did his feet hurt. The muscles in his legs started cramping up and a loud groan escaped him. « That’s it kiddo, we’re going. Batman send his car to pick us up, let’s move it. », she shouted from the next room. After a few seconds of silence her head appeared in the doorway, she sighed : « At least it’s you... I doubt I could carry Nightwing. » There was really no choice, they had to get out quickly and Tim couldn’t even get to his feet. If Black Canary carried him like a bride just to see him blush deeply, no one would know.

 

 

« You’re welcome to stay in the Manor, Miss Dinah. I’m afraid Master Bruce and Master Richard will be searching for the Red Hood and Mister Drake. I would greatly appreciate your help with Master Timothy.“, Alfred bowed slightly to the tall blonde woman. Nightwing was on monitor duty with his leg in a thick cast and propped up on a stool. He seemed to be on edge, but then again he just had his leg broken a second time, after it had been almost healed from last time. Batman wasn’t in a cave, which meant either patrol or extensive search for Red Hood. Dinah nodded her agreement to Alfred and went back to sit beside Tim, who lay unconscious in the small hospital area of the cave. Alfred had bandaged his feet and given him a muscle relaxant, unfortunately he had to dose it rather high and the side-effects had rendered Tim completely helpless. Dinah  would rather be searching for Red Hood herself, but given that she was in Gotham, she was probably a bigger help staying here to protect the boys if needed. 

 

„Oracle to Nightwing, how’s Robin? I hate to say it, but we need him to solve this riddle. Jas... Red Hood constructed it for him, so he should be able to solve it, right?“, Barbara’s voice was hard to hear, because of all the static. Dick perked up instantely.

 

„He’s still unconscious, I’d rather not try to wake him. Those were some pretty intense drugs. Anything new from Batman or your birds?“

 

„Yes,...at the docks.. cartell... ..copy.. hello ?... ightwing ? » The connection got worse every second. It didn’t take long until Oracle was just static crackling through the comms.

 

„Dammit!“, Dick shouted, „That bastard! He’s messing with the radio stations. Aaaargh, why did I every show him that!“

 

„Master Timothy?“, Alfred immediately saw the eye-fluttering. He was quickly beside Tim and propped him up. Tim blinked slowly, he smiled a little at Dinah, before accepting a glas of water from Alfred. „Wait..“, and then it clicked, „Dinah? Time! Where... the cave? Alfred! Where’s Dick? Jason attacked him.. and.. oh shit! DAD!“

 

„Sit tight, Master Timothy!“, Alfred firmly pushed him back on the bed, „Give it a minute. The drugs were rather strong. Now, Miss Dinah brought you here and stayed in case anyone were to come after you. Master Richard is over there, monitoring the security cameras. No, patience. He is more or less fine, the leg has been broken again. I took care of that. Master Bruce is searching for young Jason and Miss Barbara sent out some of her birds to help gathering information. You have badly injured your feet by running around without shoes, so at least a few days of them would be recommended. Now you may try to sit up.“

 

Tim sat up slowly. Everyone agreed to listen to Alfred on these things. The good butler had patched them up often enough to know how much they could handle, he knew better than they did themselves. Tim processed the information. Alfred hadn’t told him the time, but he could clearly see the monitor. It was 3 am, which meant two more hours. Judging by Dick’s face they hadn’t gotten anything useful yet. But Tim was no fool, the riddle had been meant for him. 1st, hook, high. Did it mean something to him or to Jason? Tim had stalked the previous Robin a few nights, before he was killed by the joker. First time as Robin? The first night that Tim followed him? He wouldn’t know about Tim’s first night as Robin... Oh, but Tim knew. That would actually be a great place for him to hide. Hide in plain sight.

« Can I please get my gear ? », Tim didn’t care that he sounded just as tired as he felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might feels as if I'm rushing now and I kinda am, getting closer to the scene that actually got me writing this.
> 
> If you would like to chat with me about the fandom in general or if you're interested in my personal take on Tim Drake, feel free to find me on tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/syusukewrites


	5. confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens, when Tim finally finds Jason?

Tim expected harsh protests, but they didn’t come. Alfred simply pretended that he didn’t hear him.  
Suddenly the monitor flashed a new image. It was Red Hood? Well, probably. He wasn’t wearing his helmet and didn’t even bother with a domino mask. Tim only knew one photo of Jason’s face, but even he was certain who he was looking at. The former Robin had a few scars close to his hairline and an ominous smirk on his face. The image was flickering every once in a while.  
“Well, well. Wanna guess who’s back? Ah wait, you already knew that. Right, different message. Dearest family of mine, would you please let go of your newest addition? See, I don’t like him. He doesn’t fit with our criteria. But if you continue to baby him and protect him from me... I’ll have to accept him into the family right? I can really only do that if I make this one especially important criteria fit. As I see it, I got a full house and you are trying to win with a bluff. But since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll make it easy for you. I placed with three bombs in the most crowded places of Gotham. They are set to go off in... a little less than an hour. Move it, bats. Red Hood out.”  
Dick’s face went ashen really fast: “He wouldn’t...”  
It was dead silent, until the bat radio clicked on and Bruce’s voice filled the room: “I’m on my way to the train station. Nightwing, I need you on Wayne Tower and Canary can you check the docks? I need you on this one.”  
“Sure, I’m on it. Alfred, can I take the bike?”  
Everyone was moving as fast as they could. Dick was clearly struggling with his cast, but eventually he drove away in one of the smaller batmobiles. Dinah left on Dick’s bike and Alfred had switched to monitor duty. Tim was still too tired to move stealthily, but fortunate for him it wasn’t necessary. In the general mayhem he snuck out into the Mansion. He grabbed what little gear he had stocked in his guestroom. He put on his uniform, but threw a civilian jacket over it. It made the whole driving off with Bruce’s tron bike a bit less suspicious. He knew exactly where to find Jason.

If not for the circumstances Tim might have felt proud of himself. The first time that he had sort of met Jason Todd, had been here. He had hidden in the back alley of a brothel, observing Batman and Robin interrogating some thug on one of the balconies higher up. The interrogation went fine, but Jason dropped his grappling gun and had to climb down into the alley to retrieve it. Tim remembered, how he had been frozen in place when their eyes had met. Neither had said a word about it and Jason had used the grappling gun to hurry back to Batman’s side. First night they met, because of the lost “hook” and he supposed now Jason was in one of the rooms higher up. He noticed that a window was open in the seventh floor. He had to take the chance.  
“I’m disappointed, Drake. I had to distract the bats, you didn’t manage on your own. At least you found this place.”, Jason Todd was leaning against the wall, slowly dragging at his cigarette. He was still wearing his body armor and there were at least four guns on him, one in his hand.  
Tim gripped his staff tighter. His whole body was tense and he was anxiously scanning the room. There was absolutely no sign of his father. He was no fool, he felt how much his muscles ached and he had hardly been able to slip into his boots. He wouldn’t stand a chance.  
“What do you want from me?”

Jason smirked. He moved slowly like a jaguar, always keeping his eyes on Tim. He was quite a bit taller than him and his arms were a lot bulkier. He purposefully sat down on the enormous bed and switched on the bedside lamp. Tim now saw a polaroid picture of his father. His face was bloody, but not too badly swollen, looked more like one clean hit to the temple. Jason clearly judged his reaction, but even so Tim couldn’t stop his eyes from widening or his stance from loosening up a bit.  
“You’re unlucky. See, my beef is with Bruce. Here I was, the rogue kid picked up by one of the wealthiest men in the world. He took me in. I had a roof over my head, my own bed, regular meals and to top it all of I got the greatest job in the world. I got to beat up the ugly thugs who killed my parents and bullied me all my life. I got revenge and I was very good at being Robin. Then I got killed. I’m sure Bruce tried his best. It’s what he did afterwards that bugs me. He forgot me. He threw my memory away as if I was some useless trash. He took YOU in. You took my place and no one remembered me. No one cared. Batman had a Robin again. So who cares what happened to the other kid? YOU lived the life that I should have lead. YOU stole my life. So I guess you’re unlucky... because it really doesn’t matter to me who you are. You just happen to represent everything I lost.”  
Jason had gotten up and was moving closer to Tim, but he hadn’t tried to attack. He didn’t even threaten him. Sure, he was gesturing around with the gun in hand, but he wasn’t pointing it at Tim.  
“So, I’m your scapegoat? Fine, do what you want with me. But release my father, he has no part in this. None! Please, I’ll beg, I’ll do whatever. Let him go!”, Tim was too exhausted to cling to the pretense. He just wanted his father back. Tim dropped the staff. He quickly wiped away the tears forming in his eyes. He then proceeded to hold his hands up, clearly showing his surrender.  
“Fine,” Jason lit another cigarette, “Your dad doesn’t interest me, as long as you cooperate. Now close the window.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this TRON bike is apparently one of the most expensive bikes and it looks kinda cool. Looks like something Bruce would by to keep the playboy image and still actually like:  
> https://www.google.ch/search?q=tron+bike&espv=2&biw=1534&bih=742&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjA7tLG9dPRAhWsL8AKHQZaDRoQ_AUIBigB
> 
>  
> 
> It's an abrupt ending I guess, but you know I want to make a series out of it ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Some links for visuals, if you would like:  
> http://cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/concrete-loft-design.png Loft image  
> http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhhS8-mtHFM/UXKuhC4iSaI/AAAAAAAABII/AMBMKR6eU4g/s1600/miss.jpg nightwing's splint/cast  
> http://thoughtsaboutdickgrayson.tumblr.com/post/50868803722/from-nightwing-150-january-2009-dicks-scars nightwing scars
> 
> So, apparently this story is so not going where I intended it to go... Anyway, I like that the dynamic between the various Robins is so different and at the same time so brotherly. Even with Damian and Tim it’s sort of how you insult your siblings in the worst way possible, but if they’re not around you’d defend them against any criticism? I assume I’ll go on in this story, maybe more like oneshots in this sorta miniverse I created in my head. I figured it might be helpful for later chapters if you knew how they all looked more or less in my mind. It’s really more about their different types of athelticism than anything else.
> 
> I always imagined Dick as having a way leaner build than Bruce. To me Bruce was basically this big guy with wide shoulders, kinda like a heavy weight boxer type. But Dick is a gymnast, so while he is very strong and has the best control over his body, his frame is still lean. He has lean muscle, he’s not bulky. Jason/ Red Hood on the other hand seems to fight with brute force and would therefore naturally have to build more upper body strength and therefore he’d have a similar build like Bruce, while also being taller than Dick. Since he doesn’t jump around much and uses a motorcycle for transportation, his legs wouldn’t be that well trained which would make him look even bulkier and together with his height that would make him seem to literally „tower“ over Dick. As for Tim, I’d go with a frame closer to Dick, but shorter. If I compare Dick to an acrobat, Tim would be closer to a martial artist as in Capoeira or Karate. Dick was an acrobat from a young age and just grew up like that. Tim on the other hand searched for the most effective way of fighting. Since he had a lean build, it was obvious to him that he couldn’t rely on a lot of strength like Bruce or Jason. But he also wasn’t flexible enough to fight like Dick. Instead he relies on techniques that use his opponents strength against them and he sticks to the leanest possible frame, because it allows him to use his speed and precision. He is the only one who actively avoids fighting if at all possible. He’d much rather use long range weapons to knock his attackers out. More often then not he lets rivaling gangs fight each other and only confronts the victors. So Tim is also the best fit to go undercover, because his build looks the most normal. He’s also quite young, but a master in changing his appearance to give or take a few years. He manages to pull of a 14 year old just as easily as a forty year old.


End file.
